Car insurance costsI take exception to your Dec. 18...

the Forum

December 31, 1990

Car insurance costs

I take exception to your Dec. 18 editorial regarding insurance options. Your argument against higher insurance rates for city residents proposes that all Maryland drivers pay the same automobile insurance rates, regardless of the history of the number of claims and the cost of those claims to the insurance companies.

This is as close to a socialist solution as anything proposed in Russia. And, we all know how well Russia is doing these days. For a change, someone in a responsible government position, Insurance Commissioner John A. Donaho, actually did his job and came to a rationale conclusion.

The facts are that Baltimore city residents have 47 claims per 1,000 vehicles while rural residents have 14.28 per 1,000 vehicles. That is three times the number of claims. Also, the cost of the claims submitted by city versus rural residents is even greater than three times the cost.

Is it fair to ask a rural resident to pay higher insurance premiums to subsidize the irresponsibility of a city driver who has a documented history of a greater number of accidents and a higher claim cost? Insurance premiums should be based on the cost of claims submitted. If you're accident-prone, then you should pay more.

Dennis E. Schehl

Sykesville

Immoral to keep dolphins in captivity

Dec. 26 was a very sad day for all those concerned about the rights of animals. Stolen from their vast oceanic home and banished to captivity in the National Aquarium's Marine Mammal Pavilion are bottlenosed dolphins. What fate awaits them? As "ambassadors" of their species, they will perform "educational demonstrations" several times daily.

Discounted is the fact that these are highly intelligent animals, which normally live in complex social groupings, traveling great distances over the globe. Never again will they live in this manner. Discounted is the fact that, contrary to the aquarium's publicity, the mammals are nature's art forms, masterpieces. They are living, breathing subjects. That they are thinking, feeling, innocent individuals overrides any human's desire. To infringe on their right to freedom, to live as nature intended, is to imprison them. Enslave them as entertainment devices? "Ambassadors"?

I encourage all readers to refuse to support this immoral establishment. Those who do support it are accomplices to this grave injustice.

Jeanne Bartas

Baltimore

Turning the tables

Had the young man who threw rocks on the Capitol Beltway dTC been an Arab, had he thrown rocks in Jerusalem, and had he then been sentenced to 38 1/2 days not 38 1/2 years, and had the authorities been Israeli not American, the United Nations would condemn the authorities. They would demand that a committee be sent to protect the youngster and the president of the United States would agree with the U.N. action.

Joseph Haus

Reisterstown

Double standard

Just beneath The Evening Sun article (Dec. 14) about stat employees demonstrating against possible layoffs is a picture of Howard County Executive Charles Ecker, who seeks to get both his pension and salary.